3 Takeaways From Florida’s Free Agency Moves

Now that the dust has settled around free agency and Florida’s roster is more or less set for the season. There’s plenty for Panther fans to be excited about heading into the fall. Zito is no stranger to making what outsiders think are bold moves, but what’s become clear this offseason is that the Cats target a specific type of player for their system. Between the draft and free agency, the Panthers have carved out an extremely distinct identity and are willing to part with players or prospects who don’t fit that. Familiarity was one of the names of the game for free agency as Zito brought back several former Panthers as well as targeting players who have physicality as a strong part of their game.

Familiar Faces:

If you’ve listened to Paul Maurice talk about Eetu Luostarinen, Zito extending him was a no-brainer. He’s an underrated part of the team but an important one. His defensive game is one of the best on the roster, and he’s a great pair with Anton Lundell. Maurice often likes to pair one winger and one center together, allowing for flexibility in line construction. Rarely do you see Luostarinen and Lundell broken up unless there’s an injury that necessitates it. He’s been a core part of Florida’s recent success and is on the younger end of the core, with most of the players sitting in the 30-32 range now. In addition to keeping Eetu long term, Zito brought back Radko Gudas on a six-year deal. Gudas was part of Florida’s 2023 run to the Cup Final but then headed out to Anaheim. Radko said when he spoke to the media that he felt like he had unfinished business in Florida.

With a deal unable to get done with Sergei Bobrovsky, the Panthers pivoted and brought back Jacob Markstrom, whom the team originally drafted. It might seem like a bit of a downgrade in net, but there’s one important thing to factor in. Zito was over in Milan and got to watch Markstrom play for Team Sweden, where he had an excellent tournament. There’s a good goalie still in there, even if he’s coming off a couple of rough years in New Jersey. Behind the Panthers’ structure, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him have a bounce-back year, especially if the team can stay relatively healthy. The Cats also gave extensions to Sandis Vilmanis, Cole Schwindt, and Donovan Sebrango. All three players got playing time with Florida last season and played down in Charlotte. Vilmanis is more likely to spend the year with the big hockey club, but Schwindt and Sebrango will probably split time and be the first call-ups if necessary. Alex Petrovic was last a Cat back in 2018. Most recently, he was with the Dallas Stars and played in 54 NHL games last season, although he split his time between Dallas and the Texas Stars during his tenure in the organization. I expect he’ll have a similar role in Florida.

Leadership and Olympic Pedigree:

Bill Zito is nothing if not predictable in one very specific area; he loves to go trade for another team’s captain. The Cats’ current roster includes the former captain of three other teams: Boston, Ottawa, and Anaheim. In the past, Zito has also traded for Kyle Okposo, who was the captain of the Sabers, among others. Barkov will be the captain of the Panthers until he retires, but Florida’s front office values having top leadership experience throughout the locker room. Every former captain has had to navigate different types of situations, and that experience can help the team manage whatever they face during the season. Going hand in hand with that, Zito went out and acquired three more Olympians. The Panthers had 12 players selected for the Olympics last season, although not everyone was able to go due to injury. Online, people want to pigeonhole the Cats into a physical bully squad, but that ignores the skill those players have as they represented six different countries in Milan.

Physicality and The Learning Curve:

Florida has their type of player established, and you’ll see very few on the roster who are under 6ft tall. Since the 2020-2021 season, the players with the most hits are Radko Gudas (1,574), Garnet Hathaway (1,532), and Brady Tkachuk (1,443), all of whom now play for the Cats. Marchand is now the sole outlier on the team as the only player under 6ft on the roster, but he perfectly fits Florida’s systems and doesn’t play like he’s 5’9. The physicality of the Panthers’ style demands a lot on a nightly basis from a player, so bringing in guys who are already used to that kind of wear and tear makes the transition easier. With the new players already having that kind of style to their game, it should hopefully mean less of a learning curve. The learning curve is usually most noticeable early in the year. Nate Schmidt is a great example. Fans didn’t love him in the first half of the season, but by the time the playoffs rolled around, he was fantastic in Florida’s style. For Gudas, there shouldn’t be much, if any, of a learning curve since he’s played in Paul’s system previously. As for Eller, Hathaway, and B. Tkachuk, I think the biggest part of the learning curve for them will be the trust portion of things. It’s one of the Cats’ biggest keys to their success, but that takes the most time to develop. Overall, the Panthers are poised to go chase another Stanley Cup next season.